Mud-guard for bicycles



Patented-Jan. 7, 1896.

(No Model.)

1H.`B. lWILLIAMS & E. -S.'CAYWOOD. MUD GUARD PoR BIGYGLES.

d NiTnD STATES ATENT AOrifice..

IIENRY E. NVILLIAMS AND ELLERY S. CAYWIOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MUD-GUARD FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,567, dated January 7, 1896.. Application filed September 30, 1895. Serial No. 564,84.` (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY E. VILLIAMS and ELLERY S. GAYwooD, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mud-Guard for Bicycles, of which the following is a specilication.

Our invention relates to mud-guards for bicycles, and our objects are to provide a means for this purpose which is efficient, light and durable and adapted to,be easily attached to any of the various models and sizes of what are termed the safety-bicycle by an unskilled person, and the construction thereof and manner of application are described hereinafter, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the frame of a bicycle withthe mud-guard attached thereto in the proper position, the positions of the bicycle-wheels being indicated in broken lines. Fig. 2 is respectively a plan and an edge elevation of the strip and end attachments which comprise this invention. Fig. 3 is respectively a plan and an edge elevation, on an enlarged scale compared to Fig. 2, of end portions of the guard to more clearly show the form and construction of the end attachments. Fig. et is respectively a plan and an end elevation of the end attachment as it appears in the blank form before folding. respectively, a plan and an end elevation of the end attachment after the first longitudinal fold, and Fig. 6 respectively a plan and an end elevation of the end attachment after the second longitudinal fold. Fig. '7 shows, respectively, a plan. and a side and an end elevation of theend attachment after two longitudinal and one transverse end fold, in which condition it is ready to receive the folded end of the mud-guard strip, one end of which is shown in side elevation in Fig. 8; and Fig. 9 shows the folded end Vof the guardstrip in position Within the end attachment. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the end attachment, showing manner of sliding in the folded end of the guard-strip.

Similar letters indicate like parts througlr out the several views.

A is the mud-guard proper, and usually' Fig. 5 shows,

like celluloid, several inches in width, and thin,so as to be light in weight. At the ends of the strip A is a means for preventing the ends of the strip from being easily torn out when in use, and is a means for attaching the strip to the bicycle,which is so simple that any one may quickly accomplish the work without the use of any tool except an ordinary pocketknife, as is shown hereinafter.

The attachment B at the ends of strip A is made of some light sheet metal, such as aluminum,and is first cut out to the shape shown in Fig. ,in which blank form two hooks C and D are secured thereto in about the positions shown.

rlhe first operation in forming the complete attachment is to bend it upon itself upon the broken line l2 13, when it will present the appearance shown in Fig. 5, after which it is again bent on a line parallel to the first bend, when it will present an appearance similar to what is shown in Fig. 6, but with the folds closed upon themselves somewhat more than is shown in the drawings. After this last lon gitudinal fold one end is bent, over upon the body of the device, as shown in Fig. '7, when it is ready to receive the end of the mud-guard strip A. The mud-guard strip is simply bent upon itself at the ends,as shown in Figs.. 8 and 10 at A', when the end may be slid laterally into the device,the hook formed by the double fold serving to engage and conceal the hook A formed at the end of the strip. After the end of the strip has been inserted into the device the now unfolded one end thereof is folded over like the opposite'end,vvlien it will present an appearance like what is shown in Figs. 2 and I3, when it is ready to attach to the bicycle, which is usually done by means of ordinary india-rubber elastic bands, one end of the band engaging the hook C,while the other end of the band is brought around the frame of the bicycle and placed in engagement with the opposite hook D at one end of the mud-guard, which may be iirst attached under the seat, then brought down and passed under the pedal-shaft, thence along under the lower front reach-bar to the lower part of the front standard, where it may be attached by an elastic band, as described for the rear'end.

Other means of fastening the strip may be used in practice, but the elastic band is pre- TCO ferred, since it is always easy to detach the guard toc'lean 'it or for any other purpose.

It is obvious that the position of this guard is such that the seat-standard and lower front reach-bar are not only protected from mud .and water thrown from the Wheels, but that the guard also serves `to protect the clothing of a rider from all mud thrown from the hind wheel forwardly below a horizontal line with the top of the wheel, while all mud thrown upwardly by the front wheel when runninga straight course is caught or deflected by this guard.

At the right-hand end of Fig. 3 is shownV the mud-guard strip A simply folded upon itself, to which folded portion, through the two thicknesses thereof, two hooks C and D are secured, which is'to show that ythe strip when placed on sale may have one end provided with hooks in the ordinary manner and the strip of a length sufficient for the largest bicycle, the other end being cut and folded of a length so that when the attachment B is added it may 'be made to exactly t any smaller bicycle by any one on the road with a common pocket-knife.

Ve claim as our invention- The combination in a mud guard for bicycles, having the strip A with the end thereof folded upon itself to form a hook A', of an attachment consisting of apiece of sheet metal twice folded upon itself, whereby an inclosed hook A is formed for the engagement of the hook A at the end of the strip, and means for securing the said attachment to a bicycle in the manner substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands, this 24th day of July, 1895, in the presence of witnesses.

HENRY E. WLLIAMS. ELLERY S. CAYWOOD. Titnesses FRED F. KNowLns, THOMAS W. GILEs. 

